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Our Mission
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) mission is to conduct and support biomedical and behavioral research and research training in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.
Who we are
Our organization
Since its establishment in 1988, the NIDCD has supported research that has led to striking discoveries in hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. The institute brings national attention to disorders of human communication and contributes to biomedical and behavioral research advances that improve the lives of millions of people with communication disorders.
Leadership
Debara L. Tucci, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., is the director of the NIDCD, a post she assumed on September 3, 2019. Dr. Tucci oversees the NIDCD’s annual budget and leads the institute’s research and research training programs across NIDCD’s seven mission areas.
Advisory groups
NIDCD relies on key advisory groups and review bodies including the National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NDCD) Advisory Council and the Board of Scientific Counselors. These groups evaluate research quality, provide technical merit reviews, and guide institute policies on communication sciences.
Research and Grants
Our research
NIDCD supports research grants, training awards, and contracts in seven mission areas: hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. These programs take place within the research laboratories and clinic at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland (intramural research), or in public and private institutions and organizations across the country and around the world (extramural research).
Both intramural and extramural research and training programs include the full spectrum of scientific activities including basic, clinical, and translational research. These studies answer fundamental scientific questions to prevent, screen, diagnose, and treat disorders of human communication.
Our grants
NIDCD is the nation’s leading funder of biomedical and behavioral research and research training in hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. The institute also supports research and research training related to disease prevention and health promotion; addresses biomedical and behavioral issues associated with deafness and other communication disorders; and supports work on devices that substitute for or improve function for individuals with deafness or other communication disorders. Through our extramural research program, approximately 81 percent of our research budget supports scientists and laboratories at universities, hospitals, and other organizations nationwide and around the world.
Budget
Explore Congressional testimony and the NIDCD Budget. Please note: Budget requests for years prior to FY 2026 were submitted by prior Administrations and may not reflect current HHS policy.
History
NIDCD was established in 1988. Explore significant events and legislative milestones that shaped the institute, its work, and its continuing role in advancing NIH’s mission.
Contact Us
The NIDCD Contact Us page provides various ways to get in touch, including an information clearinghouse for health information.